Pokemon Spotlights: Sun & Moon (Pokemon of the Week: See Post #89)

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Xayah

San Bwanna
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reserving Diglett for LC

Just like its evolution, Diglett was recently suspect tested for its incredible ability to trap and KO a wide variety of Pokemon, like Magnemite, Chinchou, Pawniard, and Ponyta. Of course, Diglett came out of this unbanned, but it does show its impact on the metagame.
 
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Reserving LC Bellsprout.

Sun is an extremely powerful playstyle in LC, and since Generation 6 Bellsprout has gotten even more threatening. With a STAB that can get many neutral OHKOs, powerful coverage in Weather Ball and the ability to work around its checks with Acid Downpour and Sleep Powder, Bellsprout solidifies its spot as LC's top sun sweeper.

Bellsprout @ Poisonium Z / Eviolite / Life Orb
Level: 5
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
- Solar Beam
- Sludge Bomb
- Weather Ball
- Sleep Powder

This is Bellsprout's standard set. It has the ability to break through unprepared teams with its dual STABs, Weather Ball and Sleep Powder. Generation 7 brought Bellsprout a gift in the form of Poisonium Z, allowing it to OHKO Pokemon that otherwise check it such as Vullaby and Ponyta with Acid Downpour. Although, good old Eviolite and Life Orb Bellsprout are as effective as they always were. Eviolite has the advantage of making Bellsprout bulky enough to switch in on resisted attacks while Life Orb increases Bellsprout'ss overall damage output at the cost of longevity. Bellsprout also has moves such as Sucker Punch, Giga Drain and Knock Off that give it some versatility. Bellsprout needs a reliable sun setter to function effectively, and this makes Vulpix a perfect partner.

However, Bellsprout is not without its weaknesses. Bellsprout can be revenge killed by fast Choice Scarf users such as Gastly and Doduo, and needs to rely on Sleep Powder to beat bulky Pokemon and Focus Sash users, making Vullaby a reliable check to non-Poisonium Z variants, thanks to its Sleep Powder immunity. It is also susceptible to priority, and non-Eviolite variants can be 2HKOed by Doduo's Quick Attack and have a chance of being OHKOed by Pawniard's Sucker Punch. It is also almost completely useless outside of sun, making Snow Warning Pokemon such as Snover and Alolan Vulpix good checks.

Overall, Bellsprout is a very good Pokemon and with sun in LC stronger than ever before, why not try it out? You might find your new favourite playstyle!


Finished, ready for QC
 
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churine

lunatic+
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Reserving LC Alolan Grimer since we can do LC mons now

Grimer was given a new Alolan form in the seventh generation, which adds a secondary typing of Dark to go along with its Poison typing. This type combination complements each other very well, giving it key resistances to Dark and Ghost, negating what would otherwise be weaknesses to Fighting and Psychic, and only having one weakness in Ground. Its bulk is no slouch either, allowing to take a lot of hits, especially with an Eviolite at hand. It has great Attack stat and access to great moves such as Knock Off which can remove Eviolites and Berry Juices, Poison Jab with just over a 1/2 chance to poison, and Shadow Sneak as priority. However Alolan Grimer's best role is being a Pursuit trapper, with arguably the best typing for one, it easily switches in on common Pursuit-bait Pokemon such as Abra and Gastly and removes them.

Grimer-Alola @ Eviolite / Berry Juice
Ability: Poison Touch
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Def / 36 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Gunk Shot / Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak

This is the most common Alolan Grimer set, maximizing on Alolan Grimer's damage output and bulk. If Eviolite isn't needed, then a Berry Juice can be used instead as a form of recovery. Knock Off is the main move that will be used, as not only is it strong, it provides utility in removing items such as Eviolite and Berry Juice. Pursuit is able to catch escaping foes to remove them for the rest of the battle, and with Alolan Grimer's good bulk and typing, it is able to switch in Abra, Gastly, and some weakened Pokemon and KO them. Gunk Shot is Alolan Grimer's most powerful STAB move that takes care of Fairy-types, able to OHKO Snubbull after Intimidate and Spritzee. Poison Jab is a more reliable option compared to Gunk Shot that has a 51% chance to poison coupled with Poison Touch. Shadow Sneak is in the final option to take care of faster but weakened foes, and can be used to get one final poison chance on the opponent with Poison Touch. Fire Blast can also be used in the last slot to hit Steel-types, namely Ferroseed harder, but a Brave nature should be used instead.

The biggest flaw of Alolan Grimer is the weakness to Ground-types. Mudbray and Drilbur both outspeed it and can easily force out Alolan Grimer as they KO with Earthquake. Diglett on the other hand, flatout traps Alolan Grimer leaving it no other option but to be KOed. Alolan Grimer also lacks reliably recovery outside of the one-time use Berry Juice, and often being attacked first due to its low speed and being affected by entry hazards, it makes Alolan Grimer not hard to wear down.

Overall, the utility Alolan Grimer provides in conjunction with great typing and is among the best in the tier. As such, Alolan Grimer is a Pokemon that should always be considered when making a team.


Alright it looks good now.
 
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diggersby [QC READY] and breloom [QC READY] are mine

Upon first glance, Diggersby appears to be the classic "Route 1 Pokemon" with low base stats and seemingly no competitive value. However, Huge Power doubles Diggersby's mediocre Attack stat to fearsome levels not even reached by the likes of Groudon, Mega-Metagross, and Mega-Salemence. This, alongside powerful dual-STAB and colorful coverage options such as the elemental punches, Knock Off, and U-Turn make Diggersby one of the most powerful wallbreakers in OU. STAB. Incredibly unique Normal-Ground-typing provides Diggersby with coveted immunities to Ghost- and Electric-type moves, however due to its below average defenses pokemon such as Gengar, Alolan-Marowak, and Tapu Koko can still break through Diggersby with coverage moves.

Diggersby @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- Quick Attack
- Fire Punch

This is Diggersby's most common, and consistently threatening set. Maximum Attack and Speed ensure Diggersby hits as fast and hard as possible, and a Jolly nature is chosen to outspeed pokemon such as positive-natured Heatran and Tapu Bulu. Return is powerful, reliable Normal-type STAB with no real drawbacks. Earthquake provides excellent coverage alongside Return, nailing most Steel- and Ghost-types that resist Return for neutral or super effective damage. Quick Attack somewhat alleviates Diggersby's poor Speed stat and also allows it to pick off faster weakened threats such as Mega-Alakazam, Pheromosa, and Volcarona. Lastly, Fire Punch rounds out Diggersby's coverage by hitting Skarmory and Celesteela, whom both resist Return and Earthquake, for super effective damage, while also roasting Ferrothorn and Mega-Scizor for 4x super effective damage. Knock Off is also an option in this last slot in order to remove troublesome items such as Landorus-T and Garchomp's Rocky Helmet while also providing super effective damage on Psychic- and Ghost-types, however this utility is niche in comparison to Fire Punch's coverage. Diggersby does have a variety of sets it can utilize, including Choice Scarf, Choice Band, and Swords Dance. Each of these sets play quite differently and are generally more matchup reliant than Diggersby's all-out-attacking set. Choice Scarf, for example, has the best matchup versus Hyper Offense, but will likely struggle in a matchup versus stall due to a lack of a boosting item. Conversely, Choice Band and Swords Dance sets will thrive versus bulkier teams due to their incredible power and ability to overwhelm defensive pokemon, but will likely struggle versus more offensive teams due to Diggersby's lackluster Speed. It is for this reason, that Diggersby's flagship all-out-attacking set with perfect neutral coverage is its most consistent. Diggersby greatly appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support from the likes of Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory respectively. Similarly, Volt-Turners such as Mega-Scizor, Tapu Koko, and Jirachi make for excellent partners as they provide Diggersby with free switch ins to wreak havoc.

Unfortunately, not all shines for Diggersby as it has a below average Speed stat alongside subpar defenses which allows it to be easily checked and revenge killed by faster offensive threats such as Greninja, Tapu Lele, and Mega-Metagross. Diggersby also offers next to no defensive utility and as such, is difficult to fit onto many builds. Other Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp and Dugtrio give Diggersby significant competition for a team slot as they provide far more utility through defensive prowess and trapping respectively.

Overall, Diggersby is an incredibly powerful, and often unprepared for threat in the OU metagame. While it does have its numerous flaws, these flaws are often circumvented by Diggersby's incredible prowess as a wallbreaker. Be sure to give Diggersby a chance! For a more detailed competitive analysis on Diggersby check here: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/diggersby/

Ever since its introduction in ADV, Breloom has been a threatening pokemon in the OU metagame. A 100% accurate sleep inducing move in Spore, combined with an enormous base 130 Attack stat and Technician boosted Bullet Seed and Mach Punch makes Breloom one of the most threatening pokemon for opposing offensive teams to see at team preview. The introduction of Z moves have only increased Breloom's viability, as a powerful Continental Crush allows Breloom to bypass many of its traditional counters. Breloom's unique Grass-Fighting-typing also gives it important resistances to popular attacking types such as Ground, Rock, Water, and Dark however Breloom's lackluster defenses do not allow for it to capitalize on these resistances. Although Breloom's typing gives it a fair number of resistances, it also leaves it weak to a plethora of types such as Psychic, Fairy, Flying, Fire and more.

Breloom @ Rockium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge / Spore

With the introduction of Z moves, this has become Breloom's most reliable and effective set. Swords Dance boosts Breloom's Attack stat to extraordinary levels in a single turn, with the added benefit that unaware Pokemon such as Quagsire and Clefable are overwhelmed by the sheer power of Breloom's Bullet Seed and cannot switch into Breloom to halt its sweep. Bullet Seed is powerful Grass-type STAB further boosted by Technician that can also break through Substitutes and Focus Sashes. Mach Punch is priority Fighting-type STAB also boosted by Technician. Mach Punch helps circumvent Breloom's below average Speed stat, has excellent synergy with Swords Dance, and allows Breloom to pick off faster offensive threats such as Ash-Greninja, Excadrill in sand, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and max Speed Heatran. Lastly, Stone Edge grants Breloom access to Continental Crush, which does massive damage to traditional counters to Breloom such as Amoongus, Mega-Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Mega-Scizor. Even after Continental Crush is used, Stone Edge provides valuable super effective coverage against pokemon such as Zapdos, Charizard, Mega-Pinsir, and Volcarona. Alternatively, Breloom can opt to run Spore in the 4th moveslot and equip a Life Orb to do more damage consistently, however it still struggles to bypass its traditional counters. Breloom offers little defensive utility and as such, fits better on more offensive teams that can apply consistent pressure over the course of a battle. Breloom also appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support from the likes of Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory respectively in order to maximize its wallbreaking capability.

While Breloom does have its numerous positive traits, it also has its flaws. Breloom's subpar defensive stats and typing give Breloom no defensive presence throughout a battle and limit the amount of times Breloom can come into a battle and wreck havoc. Breloom's below average Speed stat also leaves it vulnerable to faster Pokemon that resist Mach Punch such as Mega-Alakazam, Gengar, and Tapu Lele. The popularity of Tapu Lele in particular hurts Breloom, as Psychic Terrain makes it impossible for Breloom to spam Mach Punch versus Grounded opponents. These factors often make it difficult to fit Breloom onto a team as it is not as splashable as other Grass-types such as Tapu Bulu whom offers real defensive utility and Grassy Terrain.

Despite going through a number of changes since the days of ADV, Breloom has remained a very threatening Pokemon in the OU tier to this day, and definitely deserves a shot on your next team! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Breloom: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/breloom/
If QC wants Rockium Z and LO Spore separated into different sets I can do that, just figured they play similarly enough where it doesn't warrant different it. (Unlike something like CB vs DD Dragonite).
 
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Finished Volcanion, sorry for the wait! I'll get Scizor done asap.

Volcanion was the final Pokemon introduced in the 6th generation, near the end of ORAS. It was quickly able to make a name for itself in OU, boasting a unique Fire / Water typing and a decent ability in Water Absorb, which essentially grants it a whopping five resistances and one immunity. This, alongside Volcanion's excellent Special Attack stat of 130 and good all-around bulk allow it to function as an effective bulky attacker in the OU metagame. If that wasn't enough, Volcanion also has access to incredible offensive coverage. Its signature move, Steam Eruption, is essentially Scald with the same typing and annoying 30% burn chance, but 30 more Base Power. Flamethrower gives it a Fire-type STAB move and it can also utilize great coverage moves in Earth Power, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, and Sludge Bomb. These factors give Volcanion the ability to check a number of prominent threats in OU, Mega Scizor, Celesteela, Azumarill, Heatran, Mega Mawile, and Mega Venusaur to name a few.

Volcanion @ Choice Specs / Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb / Earth Power
- Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric

This is Volcanion's best set in the OU metagame, taking advantage of its good natural bulk and high Special Attack to act as a tank. Choice Specs is generally the item of choice, allowing Volcanion to boost its firepower to extremely high levels. However, if the lock-in effect of Choice Specs is undesirable, then Leftovers can instead be used to avoid this effect while at the same time giving Volcanion some form of recovery. Water Absorb is Volcanion's only ability and allows it to check most offensive Water-types. Maximum Special Attack and Speed is used to grant Volcanion as much power and Speed as possible, allowing it to somewhat make up for its low base 70 Speed tier. Modest is generally the preferred nature, as Volcanion needs as much firepower as it can get. However, Timid is an option to give it the ability to outpace or at least Speed tie with Breloom, Bisharp, and certain defensive variants of Landorus-T. Steam Eruption is the main move in this set, being very spammable thanks to its high 110 Base Power and its nifty 30% burn chance. Flamethrower is Volcanion's secondary STAB move, allowing it to break through targets such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Celesteela, Magearna, and Magnezone. Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-types including Clefable, Azumarill, and Tapu Fini for good damage. Alternatively, Earth Power is a coverage option which is Volcanion's only way of dealing with opposing Volcanion and Toxapex. The final moveslot is utilized to hit bulky Water-types, which would otherwise completely wall this set. Hidden Power Grass does decent damage to Manaphy, Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, Keldeo, Primarina. Meanwhile, Hidden Power Electric hits mostly the same targets, except it deals more damage to Pelipper, Mantine, and Toxapex at the cost of not being able to break through Rotom-W.

Despite its numerous positive traits, Volcanion is by no means a perfect Pokemon. Its Speed stat of base 70 leaves much to be desired, since it means that it often struggles to pull its weight against more offensively-oriented teams. As well as that, although Volcanion's Fire / Water typing is generally pretty good defensively, it comes with very common weaknesses to Ground-, Electric-, and Rock-types. This also means that it has a 2x weakness to Stealth Rock, which is quite crippling for a bulky Pokemon, particularly one with no reliable recovery. Finally, Volcanion finds itself very easily walled by almost all defensive Water-types, of which there are many in OU. Although Hidden Power Grass and Hidden Power Electric somewhat remedy this issue, being choice-locked into one of those moves can be easily abused by a clever opponent and the the two moves are pretty weak without the Choice Specs boost.

Although Volcanion has numerous flaws, it's still a great bulky attacker in the OU metagame and should never go unnoticed when building a team.
 
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Mega Scizor is one of the best Mega Evolutions in the OU metagame. Its Bug / Steel typing grants it an impressive eight resistances and one immunity, as well as only a single weakness to Fire-types. Technician Bullet Punch is one of Mega Scizor's defining traits, giving it access to a powerful Steel-type STAB priority attack. This is further improved by Mega Scizor's excellent base Attack stat of 150, giving it a signficant amount of firepower, which can be further boosted by Swords Dance. To top it off, Mega Scizor has surprisingly good all-around bulk for such an offensive powerhouse, as well as access to Roost, allowing it to pull off a bulky sweeper set effectively. It's also able to utilize U-turn, giving it the ability to function as a pivot.

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 128 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn

Mega Scizor is able to run a plethora of sets, but this is by far the most common and arguably the most effective. With the given EVs, it becomes one of the best Mega Metagross checks in the tier, being able to slowly wear it down throughout the course of the match while recovering from any damage it takes with Roost. This gives it a strong and defined niche in the OU metagame, as Mega Metagross is the best Mega Evolution in the tier. Swords Dance allows Mega Scizor to act as a great late-game wincon and sweeper once its checks and counters have been cleaned up by a teammate, as few things are capable of standing up to a boosted STAB Technician Bullet Punch. U-turn allows Mega Scizor to fulfill the role of a bulky pivot, as well as giving it a secondary way of dealing damage.

Even though Mega Scizor is an excellent bulky attacker, it still has numerous flaws. It received a major nerf in the 7th generation with the introduction of Tapu Lele. Psychic Surge blocks Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch, making it extremely difficult for Mega Scizor to put in work against most teams that utilize Tapu Lele, as it struggles to complete a sweep when its main way of dishing out damage is gone. Another issue with Mega Scizor is its 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks. This means that it often has to scout for surprise Fire-type moves on Pokemon such as Greninja, Tapu Lele, and Clefable, as most Fire-type moves will be able to OHKO it. This also leaves it vulnerable to being trapped and eliminated by Magnezone, which has received an increase in usage this generation, as well as the occasional Magneton. Finally, although Bug / Steel is a great typing defensively, it provides Mega Scizor with poor coverage offensively.

Overall, although Mega Scizor isn't a perfect Pokemon, it's an extremely potent threat both offensively and defensively and offers a lot of utility as a Mega Evolution on a number of teams.


With that, I'm gonna go ahead and reserve Sableye and Thundurus-T.
 
Diggersby and Breloom are done so I'm taking mega Metagross [QC READY] *approved by meteordash* and mega aerodactyl [QC READY]

Since its introduction in ADV, Metagross has been a prominent pokemon in the OU metagame. The introduction of Mega Stones in generation 6 only further bolstered Metagross's viability, and now in generation 7 it sits comfortably as a top threat in OU. Mega Metagross's sky high base 145 Attack stat combined with Tough Claws and a plethora of coverage moves such as Hammer Arm, Thunder Punch, and Ice Punch make it an incredibly fearsome wallbreaker with very few true counters. Mega Metagross also sports fantastic bulk for an offensive Pokemon which in company with its above average Speed stat makes it very difficult to revenge kill. This bulk alongside Steel-Psychic-typing allows Mega Metagross to also act as a check to threatening Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Magearna.

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake / Hammer Arm
- Bullet Punch

This is Mega Metagross's most common and consistent set, being able to hit almost all of OU for neutral damage. Maximum Attack and Speed allow Mega Metagross to hit as hard and fast as possbile, while a Jolly nature ensures Mega Metagross outspeeds Pokemon such as Keldeo, Terrakion, and Kartana. Meteor Mash is Mega Metagross's strongest Steel-type STAB move with the added benefit of raising Mega Metagross's Attack stat by one stage 20% of the time it hits. Zen Headbutt compliments Meteor Mash well, nailing Pokemon such as Toxapex, Keldeo, and Rotom-W who resist Meteor Mash for super effective damage and also receives a power boost from Tough Claws. Earthquake provides super effective coverage on Steel-types such as Heatran, opposing Mega Metagross, and Magnezone, however Hammer Arm can also be used here to hit Ferrothorn harder than Earthquake and allow Mega Metagross to beat Skarmory. Bullet Punch is useful priority for Mega Metagross, allowing it to pick off faster weakened threats such as Pheromosa, Weavile, and Tapu Koko. Mega Metagross has access to a bountiful movepool, with options such as Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Pursuit at its disposal. All of these options are viable on this set, and as such, Mega Metagross's move slots should be determined based on what support the rest of the team needs. Magnezone is an excellent partner for Mega Metagross as it can trap Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela that bother Mega Metagross. Similarly, Heatran works well with Mega Metagross as it can check these Steel-types as well as lure in bulky Water-type Pokemon that can combat Mega Metagross such as Slowbro and Tapu Fini with its Bloom Doom set.

Despite Mega Metagross's many positive traits, it does have its share of flaws. Mega Metagross somewhat suffers from four move slot syndrome, as it is unable to break through all of its checks and counters with just four moves. This problem is easily overcome however, as many of Mega Metagross's checks such as Landorus-T, Celesteela, and Garchomp lack reliable recovery and can be worn down throughout a battle. Similarly, teammates can run coverage moves to lure in Mega Metagross's counters and make its job easier. A primary example of this is using Thunderbolt on Tapu Lele to lure in Celesteela. Mega Metagross's Steel-Psychic typing also leaves it weak to common attacking types such as Dark, Fire, Ground, and Ghost, limiting its switch in opportunities. Both of these shortcomings are rather miniscule and greatly overshadowed by Mega Metagross's numerous excellent characteristics.

Overall, Mega Metagross is a fantastic Pokemon in the OU metagame with very few flaws and plenty of positive traits. Go give Mega Metagross a chance to see for yourself! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Metagross: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/metagross/

As one of the original 151 Pokemon and the recipient of a mega evolution in Generation 6, Aerodactyl is very popular among older and newer fans alike. Mega Aerodactyl's blazing base 150 Speed stat puts it at the very top of the OU Speed tiers, and in conjunction with high Attack, amazing dual STAB's, and usable coverage moves Mega Aerodactyl is a very potent revenge killer and late-game cleaner. Mega Aerodactyl's Speed and Rock-Flying typing allow it to also serve as an offensive check to common threats such as Mega Pinsir, Volcarona, and Heatran.

Aerodactyl-Mega @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
- Aqua Tail
- Fire Fang

This is Mega Aerodactyl's most effective set. Maximum Attack and Speed investment allow Mega Aerodactyl to hit as hard and fast as possible, while a Jolly nature is used to ensure Mega Aerodactyl outspeeds Pokemon such as Ash Greninja, Mega Beedrill, and non positive Speed nature Pheromosa. Stone Edge is hard hitting STAB that allows Mega Aerodactyl to properly combat Pokemon such as Zapdos, Mega Charizard X, and Torandus-T. Aerial Ace is Aerodactyl's only form of reliable Flying-type STAB, compliments Stone Edge well, and receives a power boost from Tough Claws. Aqua Tail also receives a boost from Tough Claws and nails bulky Ground-types that can switch into Stone Edge and Aerial Ace with impunity such as Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Excadrill for super effective damage. Lastly, Fire Fang targets Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor for massive damage. Ice Fang can also be used on this set in order to lure in Pokemon such as Zygarde and Garchomp for 4X super effective damage, however this is niche as these targets are still hit for solid neutral damage by Aqua Tail. Mega Aerodactyl greatly appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support from the likes of Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory respectively, as they effectively weaken bulkier Pokemon for Mega Aerodactyl to clean up in the later stages of the battle. In a smilar vein, Mega Aerodactyl despises Stealth Rock being up on its side of the field, so hazard removal from Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Pheromosa is greatly appreciated.

Not all shines for Mega Aerodactyl, however, as it is a somewhat frail Pokemon that is also weak to Stealth Rock, meaning its longevity throughout a battle is often subpar. Mega Aerodactyl also provides little defensive utility aside from checking certain offensive threats when given a free switch, so it can be very difficult to fit onto a team. Lastly, Mega Aerodactyl also faces significant competition from other Rock- and Flying-types such as Terrakion and Landorus-T respectively who can utilize Z moves and do not occupy a teams mega slot.

Overall, between its colorful coverage, fantastic Speed tier, and solid dual STAB's it is easy to see why Mega Aerodactyl is a threat in todays OU metagame. Go give the speedy fossil a try! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Aerodactyl: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/aerodactyl/
 
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(double post) Metagross and Aero both ready for QC..gonna scoop Mew [QC READY]
With base 100 stats across the board and access to almost every move in the game, it is not hard to tell why Mew is such a versatile Pokemon in the OU tier. Mew's main niche, however, is its ability to combat powerful special attackers such as Latios, Tapu Lele, and Thundurus when invested. This, along with support moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Softboiled, Taunt, and even Stealth Rock make Mew a fantastic utility option to help glue teams together. Mew can fit on a multitude of teams ranging from heavy offense to full stall due to its versatility and unpredictability, making it one of the most splashable Pokemon around.

Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Knock Off
- Soft-Boiled
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt

This is Mew's most popular and consistent set. 56 Speed EV's allows Mew to outspeed and burn Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Tapu Bulu with Will-O-Wisp, while the rest of the EV's are poured into HP and Special Defense in order to maximize bulk. Knock Off is useful for removing opposing Pokemon's items, allowing Mew or a teammate to more easily combat it. Softboiled is necessary for this set as it keeps Mew healthy throughout a battle and lets Mew properly perform its role. Will-O-Wisp spreads status and is essential for Mew to disrupt bulkier teams and can cripple physical attackers that might otherwise threaten Mew such as Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, and Tyranitar. Lastly, Taunt is incredibly useful for Mew to combat Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory that would otherwise simply use Mew as set up bait for Hazards. Taunt can also prevent set up sweepers such as Mega Charizard X and Calm Mind Clefable from accumulating too many boosts and getting out of hand. Mew is a very self sufficient Pokemon and as such, does not rely on its teammates to do much for it. Mew is also rather splashable and can fit on a wide variety of teams. With this said, Mew does appreciate hazard removal from the likes of Zapdos, Skarmory, and Excadrill as it cannot properly check strong special attackers if withered heavily by hazards. Similarly, Mew can struggle with Dark-types such as Bisharp and Weavile if it does not Burn them with Will-O-Wisp, so Pokemon that combat these Dark-types such as Magearna and Tapu Fini work well with Mew.

Although Mew does have a plethora of positive attributes, it does have its share of flaws as well. Mew is completely and utterly helpless versus Mega Sabeleye due to Magic Bounce, and other Ghost-types such as Gengar and Mimikyu also threaten Mew greatly as they can weaken Mew heavily with super effective STAB attacks. If Mew is to find itself Taunted it also becomes fairly useless, as the only options it has is a weak non-STAB Knock Off or to switch.

Overall, Mew is a very versatile and effective Pokemon in the OU tier with few flaws that are generally made up for by Mew's numerous positive traits. Go give the Pokémon containing all other Pokémon's DNA a try! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Mew: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/mew/ou/


Taking over Pheromosa [QC READY] and Tapu Bulu [QC READY] as well with permission from mdash.

The most threatening of all the new Ultra Beasts, Pheromosa is quite possibly the most splashable and consistent Pokemon in the OU metagame today. Blessed with a base Speed of 151, Pheromosa is not only the fastest Pokemon in OU, but also one of the strongest with incredible mixed attacking stats and a wide variety of sets it can effectively run. Although Perhomosa provides zero defensive utility to a team, its incredible offensive prowess and lack of true counters easily outweigh this con.

Pheromosa @ Fightinium Z / Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 224 SpA / 32 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam

Investing 32 EV's into Pheromosa's Special Defense allows it to survive Ash Greninja's Water Shuriken from full HP, while the rest of the EV's are poured into Special Attack and Speed in order to hit as hard and fast as possible. With this EV spread, Pheromosa will always accumulate a Special Attack raise from Beast Boost and still outspeeds all Choice Scarf users in the tier. Fightinium Z provides Pheromosa with a one time 100% accurate, massively powerful Focus Blast, however Focus Sash can also be used to aid Pheromosa in getting up a Quiver Dance. Quiver Dance boosts Pheromosa's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, transforming it into a deadly sweeper in just one turn. Bug Buzz is reliable, somewhat powerful Bug-type STAB that has decent synergy with Focus Blast. Focus Blast is very powerful, albeit inaccurate Fighting-type STAB. Ice Beam provides crucial coverage, nailing Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Tornadus-T who resist Pheromosa's STAB attacks for super effective damage. Memento support from the likes of Dugtrio works incredibly well with this Pheromosa set, as it helps to alleviate Pheromosa's horrific defenses by crippling a vulnerable Pokemon on the opposing team.

Pheromosa @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Ice Beam
- Poison Jab

Pheromosa is not only able to effectively run a Special Attacking set, but an all-out-attacking Physically oriented set as well. High Jump Kick is powerful Fighting-type STAB that demolishes any Pokemon that doesn't resist it and even some that do. U-Turn generates momentum for teammates while also withering Pheromosa's own checks such as Mega Sabeleye and Toxapex. Ice Beam and Poison Jab each provide excellent coverage alongside Pheromosa's STAB's, hitting Ground- and Fairy-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Clefable for super effective damage respectively. This Pheromosa set greatly appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support from Pokemon such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory respectively, as Pheromosa forces a large amount of switches. Pheromosa is also capable of running a myriad of other sets to great success such as Choice scarf, Choice Band, and even a Choice Specs set.

Although Pheromosa posses a plethora of positive attributes, it is not without its flaws as well. Pheromosa is incredibly frail and as such, offers no defensive utility to its team. This lack of utility can make it difficult to fit Pheromosa onto non offensive teams as its teammates are forced to carry a greater defensive burden. Ghost- and Poison-types such as Mega Sabeleye and Toxapex resist both of Pheromosa's STAB's and take little damage from its coverage moves. Fortunately, Pheromosa can simply U-Turn out on these Pokemon and allow a teammate better equipped to handle them such as Tapu Lele come in.

Overall, Pheromosa is an incredibly dangerous and versatile Pokemon in the OU metagame and certainly deserves a spot on your next team! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Pheromosa: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/pheromosa/

Introduced as apart of the Island Guardian Deities in Generation 7, Tapu Bulu immediately made its presence felt throughout the OU metagame. One of the most powerful physical attackers in OU, Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer hits even Pokemon that resist Grass for huge damage. Tapu Bulu is also one of the more versatile Pokemon in the OU tier, being able to run numerous sets such as Choice Band, Swords Dance, and even Leech Seed sets. This variety allows Tapu Bulu to effectively choose its checks and counters, making it not only difficult to prepare for, but also challenging to combat in the early stages of a battle before it reveals its set. From a defensive standpoint, Tapu Bulu's solid defensive stats and Grass-Fairy typing allow it to check prevalent threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, and Keldeo as well. Between powerful Grass-type STAB bolstered by Grassy Terrain, a wide variety of effective sets, and solid defensive typing it is not difficult to comprehend why Tapu Bulu sees so much usage in both Ladder and Tournament battles.

Tapu Bulu @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Zen Headbutt

Swords Dance Tapu Bulu is a simply a menace. Maximum Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature allows Tapu Bulu to hit as hard and fast as possible while still outspeeding Timid Magearna and Jolly Bisharp. Fightinium Z turns Superpower into a ridiculously powerful 190 base power All-Out Pummeling, breaking through Pokemon such as Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Celesteela who could otherwise wall Tapu Bulu. Swords Dance is the crux of this set and boosts Tapu Bulu's Attack stat to incredible levels. Horn Leech is reliable Grass-type STAB further boosted by Grassy Terrain. The added recovery provided by Horn Leech in conjunction with passive recovery from Grassy Terrain increases Tapu Bulu's longevity greatly and aids it in sweeping. Superpower is important for hitting Steel-types such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Kartana for super effective damage, while Zen Headbutt targets Poison-types such as Mega Venusaur and Amoongus for huge damage as well. Swords Dance Tapu Bulu has particularly great success against most Stall teams, as its Grass-typing and raw power allow it to break through unaware walls such as Quagsire and Clefable.

Tapu Bulu @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Stone Edge

Choice Band Tapu Bulu plays vastly different from its Swords Dance variant, relying more so on prediction and the sheer power of its Grass-type STAB. Choice Band Wood Hammer OHKO's everything that doesn't resist it and even more frail Pokemon that do at the cost of significant recoil. Horn Leech is a more reliable option, healing Tapu Bulu as opposed to losing HP. Superpower and Stone Edge target Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Mega Charizard Y respectively, rounding out Tapu Bulu's coverage well. Choice Band Tapu Bulu greatly appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support from the likes of Landorus-T, Greninja, and Skarmory respectively as Tapu Bulu forces a large amount of switches and hazard damage racks up very quickly.

While Tapu Bulu does have a myriad of positive traits, it is not without its flaws as well. Tapu Bulu's poor base Speed stat leaves it outsped by common Pokemon such as Heatran, Mega Metagross and Mega Pinsir that can all threaten out Tapu Bulu with their STAB moves. Although Tapu Bulu's Grass-Fairy typing gives it useful resistances to Ground-, Dark-, and Fighting moves, it also leaves it weak to a plethora of common attacking types such as Fire, Flying, Ice, and Steel. These common weaknesses in conjunction with Tapu Bulu's poor Speed make non Choice Scarf variants of Tapu Bulu very easy to revenge kill.

Overall, Tapu Bulu is a versatile force in today's OU metagame that provides both offensive and defensive utility. What's stopping you from giving the Island Guardian a try today? Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Tapu Bulu as well: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/tapu_bulu/
 
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Mega Sableye is infamous for its ability to shut down a number of common Stealth Rock and Spikes setters, thanks to its great ability in Magic Bounce and access to a number of useful utility moves, such as Will-O-Wisp. Its typing grants it three separate immunities, with only a single weakness to Fairy. These traits, along with its pretty good 50/115/125 mixed bulk, make Mega Sableye a staple on stall teams and are the reason why Mega Sableye was suspect tested and eventually banned to Ubers at the end of ORAS OU. Its typing also allows it to function as an effective spinblocker and a useful ability in Prankster prior to Mega Evolution is situationally useful.

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover

This is by far Mega Sableye's best set. Fake Out is may seem like an odd choice on Sableye, but it is used to give Mega Sableye the ability to freely mega evolve at the beginning of the game, so that it can activate Magic Bounce for later. Knock Off is Sableye's best way of dealing direct damage, coming with the added utility of removing items from foes. Will-O-Wisp completely cripples physical attackers while slowly dealing chip damage to everything else. It notably allows Mega Sableye to beat common hazard setters such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, Excadrill, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. Recover is necessary to give Sableye some needed longevity and allow it to properly sustain itself throughout the match.

Despite these positive aspects, Mega Sableye has a number of significant flaws. It suffered from not one, but two significant nerfs in the transition to SM. Firstly, the Mega Evolution mechanics were changed so that Mega Sableye no longer effectively has both Magic Bounce and Prankster before mega evolving, which means that it no longer gets Prankster Will-O-Wisp on the turn it mega evolves. The nerf to burns has also made Mega Sableye a lot less effective at chipping down opposing threats.

Although it's not a perfect Pokemon by any means, Mega Sableye offers incredible utility on more defensively-oriented playstyles and absolutely controls the hazard game. Get out there and give it a try!


With access to great setup moves in Agility and Nasty Plot, Thundurus-T can be a lethal sweeper in OU when given the right team support. A Speed tier of 101 allows it to outpace common base 100s, including Mega Charizard X/Y, Manaphy, Volcarona, Zapdos, Jirachi, Salamence, and Mew. Volt Absorb gives it a niche over other Electric-types, granting it an immunity to Electric and the ability to take on Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Tapu Koko with relative ease. While its coverage moves are nothing amazing, they give it the tools to hit most of the metagame hard, with Hidden Power Ice for Garchomp, Landorus-T and Zygarde, as well as Focus Blast for Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Excadrill.

Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Electrium Z / Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Agility
- Nasty Plot / Focus Blast

This is Thundurus-T's only real viable set in the OU metagame. Thunderbolt is a necessary STAB move. When combined with the Electrium Z, it transforms into a 175 Base Power Electric-type move, capable of breaking through even the bulkiest of walls after a boost. Hidden Power Ice is important coverage, notably hitting Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Landorus-T, and Garchomp. Agility allows Thundurus to improve its somewhat underwhelming unboosted Speed stat, outpacing the entire metagame at +1 and a good portion of it at +2. The final moveslot is somewhat customizable. Nasty Plot boosts Thundurus-T's Special Attack to ridiculous levels, allowing Gigavolt Havoc to OHKO even Chansey at +6. On the other hand, Focus Blast allows Thundurus-T to more effectively deal with Steel-types. Life Orb is an alternate option over Electrium Z to give Thundurus-T more consistent power, while Leftovers grant it greater longevity.

Although Thundurus-T is a very potent setup sweeper, it's not without its flaws. Its bulk is fairly average, leaving it with not as many opportunities to set up as it would like. Without Focus Blast it is easily walled by Ferrothorn, Magnezone and Excadrill, and without Nasty Plot it requires the opposing team to be heavily worn down before it can sweep. It also faces a significant amount of competition from faster Electric-types such as Thundurus, which also has Prankster, and Tapu Koko, which boasts access to Electric Terrain.

Despite this, Thundurus-T is still an excellent late-game cleaner on offensively-oriented teams. Why not give it a shot?
 
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Mew, Pheromosa, and Bulu are all QC ready. Taking Azumarill [QC READY] with mdash's permission.
Ever since being gifted with Fairy-typing in Generation 6, Azumarill has been a prevalent threat in the OU metagame. Azumarill's ability Huge Power doubles its seemingly meager base 50 Attack stat and makes Azumarill one of the hardest hitters in the OU tier. Azumarill can act as either a powerful wallbreaker when equipped with a Choice Band, or a deadly sweeper when running Belly Drum and Normalium Z. This variety makes combatting Azumarill difficult in the early stages of a battle before it reveals its set. Defensively, Water-Fairy typing alongside solid defensive stats also grants Azumarill many useful resistances, allowing it to check popular Pokemon such as Keldeo, Ash Greninja, and Pheromosa. This combination of bulk and typing in conjunction with STAB priority Aqua Jet is what makes Azumarill's Belly Drum set particularly potent and difficult to combat.

Azumarill @ Normalium Z
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off

Maximum Attack and Speed investment allow Azumarill to hit as hard and fast as possible while a Jolly nature lets Azumarill outspeed uninvested Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, and at least speed-tie opposing Azumarill. Belly Drum is the crux of the set, transforming into Z Belly Drum with Normalium Z which restores Azumarill's HP to full before raising its Attack stat to astronomical levels. Aqua Jet is valuable STAB priority which helps to circumvent Azumarill's extremely poor Speed stat and actually allows for Azumarill to sweep more offensive teams that rely on faster threats such as Tapu Koko to check Azumarill. Play Rough is powerful Fairy-type STAB that OHKO's anything that doesn't resist it after a Belly Drum. Lastly, Knock Off provides solid neutral coverage alongside Azumarill's STAB's, OHKO'ing traditional counters to Azumarill such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Amoongus at +6 Attack.

Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Superpower

164 Speed EV's lets Azumarill outspeed uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon such as Mantine and Skarmory, while the rest of the EV's are poured into Attack and HP to allow Azumarill to hit as hard as possible while retaining some bulk. Choice Banded Azumarill plays far differently from its Belly Drum set, and should be used as a wallbreaker rather than a sweeper. Play Rough and Waterfall are powerful, reliable dual STAB that hit provide solid neutral coverage against most of the metagame. Aqua Jet is STAB priority that aids Azumarill in picking off weakened faster threats such as Pheromosa, Excadrill, and Volcarona. Lastly, Superpower nails Ferrothorn and Kartana for super effective damage who would otherwise give Azumarill trouble. Choice Band Azumarill has a very difficult time with Pokemon such as Toxapex, Amoongus, and Mega Venusaur who resist its dual STAB and take little damage from Superpower, so teammates that can handle these Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam and Hoopa Unbound make for solid partners.

While Azumarill certainly has its many positive attributes, each of its sets have their flaws as well. The current prevalence of Psychic Terrain hurts Azumarill's Belly Drum set greatly as it is unable to spam its powerful priority Aqua Jet under the terrain. In a similar vein, the recent omnipresence of both Toxapex and Tangrowth hampers Azumarill's Choice Band set as it needs these Pokemon removed in order to properly function and begin wrecking havoc on the opponents team. Azumarill's pitiful Speed stat even when invested fully also makes it easy to revenge kill by Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Serperior.

Overall, Azumarill is a powerful Pokemon in the OU metagame capable of running a multitude of effective sets, and definitely deserves a slot on your next team! Be sure to check here for a more detailed competitive analysis on Azumarill:
http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/azumarill/
 
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Empoleon is one of the few Pokemon that boasts access to both Stealth Rock and Defog. This gives it an important niche in the OU metagame, having excellent role compression. Empoleon's typing is also incredibly good defensively, granting it a whopping 10 resistances and 1 immunity, notably giving it a 4x resistance to Ice and a 2x resistance to the common Water, Fairy, and Dragon types. It also has pretty good 84/88/101 all-around bulk. To top it off, Empoleon's movepool includes a plethora of excellent utility options; Scald allows it to inflict burns on physical attackers and deter them from switching in, Roar means that it can avoid being used as setup fodder, and Knock Off gives it the ability to remove items, crippling certain Pokemon such as Chansey.

Empoleon @ Leftovers / Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Defog
- Stealth Rock / Roar / Toxic / Knock Off
- Stealth Rock / Roar / Toxic / Knock Off

This is Empoleon's primary set in OU. Scald is a Water-type STAB move that takes advantage of Empoleon's reasonably high Special attack stat. However, it's mostly used for its nifty burn chance, allowing Empoleon to cripple physical attackers that try to switch in. Defog is the reason to use Empoleon, giving it the ability to clear away detrimental hazards. The finals two slots are very customizable for the team's needs. Stealth Rock can be used if a team lacks another setter, and takes it advantage of Empoleon's good natural bulk to set it consistently. Roar ensures that Empoleon isn't used as setup bait, phazing Pokemon and removing their stat boosts. Toxic wears down bulkier Pokemon and is a great form of chip damage. Knock Off has incredible utility, particularly against Pokemon reliant on their items such as Alolan Marowak and Chansey. The given EVs and a Calm nature maximize Empoleon's special bulk, allowing it to tank powerful hits including Magnet Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt and Pheromosa's Focus Blast. Leftovers is the item of choice, giving Empoleon some form of recovery. However, Shuca Berry is an option to alleviate its Ground weakness.

However, Empoleon is not without its problems. Most notable is its lack of reliable recovery outside of Rest, which is unfortunate for a defensive Pokemon like itself. It makes it prone to being worn down throughout the match, which is crippling, as if it takes too much damage it will be unable to switch in and Defog away hazards, forcing the team to leave them on the field. It also faces a lot of competition from other Water-types with access to Defog, namely Tapu Fini and Mantine, both of which are bulkier than Empoleon. Empoleon's weakness to Ground also makes it rather difficult to work with, as it struggles to switch in on common Stealth Rock setters such as Landorus-T and Garchomp, although Shuca Berry somewhat remedies this.

Overall, although it has flaws, Empoleon is a great support Pokemon that fits easily on a number of teams. Give it a try!
 
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Zygarde 50% [QC READY] is mine with permission from mdash.
Introduced at the beginning of Generation 6, Zygarde was a disappointment at first. Fast forward to Generation 7, and Zygarde is one of the most prominent threats in the OU tier. Aside from favorable metagame trends, the main thing that has changed for Zygarde is access to Thousand Arrows. Thousand Arrows, a high base power Ground-type STAB move capable of hitting Flying-types and Levitaters such as Skarmory and Rotom Wash makes Zygarde a nightmare to switch into for all team archetypes. Zygarde is also a rather versatile Pokemon, capable of running a multitude of sets such as Coil, Dragon Dance, and Choice Band. Not only is Zygarde a prolific offensive threat, but also provides significant defensive utility as a check to Pokemon such as Heatran and Volcarona.

Zygarde @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Toxic / Iron Tail

Maximum Attack and Spped investment with an Adamant nature allow Zygarde to hit as hard and as fast as possible. Thousand Arrows is hard hitting Ground-type STAB, and due to how spammable this move is, it has fantastic synergy alongside Choice Band as being locked into Thousand Arrows is usually optimal. Outrage should only be used sparsely, but is incredibly powerful Dragon-type STAB capable of nuking Dragons such as Garchomp and opposing Zygarde, and provides good neutral coverage in conjunction with Thousand Arrows. Extreme Speed is useful priority capable of picking off faster threats such as Pheromosa, Ash Greninja and Mega Alakazam. With the boost from Choice Band, Extreme Speed is even capable of OHKO'ing Pheromosa from full HP. Lastly, Toxic, while seemingly an odd option for a Choice locked Pokemon, is very useful for whittling away at very bulky Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows such as Tangrowth, Buzzwole, and Slowbro. Alternatively, Iron Tail can be used in this slot to lure in and smack Fairy-types such as Clefable and Tapu Bulu for super effective damage, however Iron Tail is fairly inaccurate and is niche in comparison to Toxic. Choice Band Zygarde is a prolific Balance breaker, but struggles to break through the increasingly popular Tangrowth. Teammates such as Rockium Z Breloom and Hidden Power Fire Serperior who can lure in and heavily weaken Tangrowth make for excellent partners.

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Coil
- Thousand Arrows
- Toxic

240 HP EVs brings Zygarde's HP stat to 404, thus allowing its Substitutes to survive a Seismic Toss. 56 Speed EVs ensure Zygarde outspeeds base 70's and below such as Bisharp, Breloom, and Magearna, while the rest of the EVs are poured into Special Defense to aid Zygarde in tanking strong Special Attacks from Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona. These Special Defense EVs along with a Careful nature also assist Zygarde versus stray 4x super effective HP Ice's from Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Zapdos. Substitute allows Zygarde to dodge status ailments from the likes of Mega Sabeleye and Chansey and also eases prediction. Coil is vital for this set, allowing Zygarde to more easily break through bulky teams by boosting its Attack, Defense, and Accuracy by 1 stage all in the same turn. Thousand Arrows is necessary for every Zygarde, and works well even as the sole attacking move due to its lack of reliable resistances in the OU tier. Finally, Toxic chips away at Unaware walls such as Quagsire and Clefable, as well as greatly bothering Thousand Arrows switch ins such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu. This set is incredibly self sufficient and as such, does not require too much team support. However, Healing Wish support from Latias can provide Zygarde a second chance at sweeping after it has already weakened the opposing team.

Although Zygarde is a terrific Pokemon in the OU metagame, it is not without its flaws. Due to its immense prevelance, any properly built team will be carrying at least one solid check to Zyagrde such as Hidden Power Ice Landorus-T or Tangrowth. Similarly, aside from its 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, Zygarde is also weak to common Dragon- and Fairy-type moves which can threaten to end Zygarde's rampage prematurely. These flaws are rather miniscule though and greatly overshadowed by Zygarde's numerous positive attributes.

Overall, Zygarde is a dominating force in the OU metagame, capable of running a multitude of sets effectively and performing well versus all team archetypes. Give Zygarde a shot if you already haven't! Be sure to check out a more in depth competitive analysis on Zygarde here: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/zygarde/
 
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Dropping both Serperior and Ninetales-Alola
Reserving Serperior and Alolan Ninetails, then.




Serperior's acces to Contrary, a 113 base speed stat, and a incredibly powerful STAB move in the form of leaf storm is only part of what makes Serperior a successful *setup* sweeper in OU. Grass is also a potent defensive typing allowing Serperior to pivot into certain threats such as Tapu koko and Kartana, forcing them out and then either crippling a switch in with glare or successfully setting up a Substitute and/or leech seed. 113 speed barely edges out the golden 110 benchmark, allowing it to outrun things like Mega Metagross, Latios, and Thundurus even with the drop in speed due to running HP fire. Passable coverage options in the form of HP fire and Dragon Pulse and utility options in the form of Glare and Leech seed allow it to fully make use of the little opportunities brought to it by its barren move pool and mono-grass typing.

Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power Fire


This is Serperior's set made to fully make use out of its Typing, stats, and supportive options. Substitute and Leech Seed allow it to protect itself from Status, provide a form of recovery alongside leftovers, and to chip at its potential checks and counters, as well as easing prediction and scouting for certain coverage moves. Leaf storm is a powerful STAB doubling its special attack stat upon use, its incredibly Spamable and is usually the first move its hits once sent out. Hidden power fire rounds up its overall disappointing coverage by allowing it to roast incoming steel and grass types such as Ferrothorn, Amoongus and Mega Metagross which otherwise would be solid roadblocks to Serperior. 252 speed EVS and a Timid nature allow it reach a hit point of ~112 speed because of the HP fire IV drop, and anything lower would allow it to be outrun by the very pokemon its supposed to outrun. 56 HP EVS allow it to spam Substitute more freely and everything else is dumped into special attack.


Despite everything Serperior has going for it, it still has its own pile of troubles to fret over. 113 base speed still falls short from the likes of Greninja and Scolipede and even though its STABS and HP fire/Dragon Pulse are usually enough, it still lacks all the other coverage options that would have allowed to it break through problematic special sponges such as Heatran and Mega Venasaur. Lastly, its pure grass typing gives it an unfortunate 5 weakness, including one to the omnipresent fire type and offensively relies on its teammates entirely to remove grass resists such as the aforementioned two.


In the end however, Serperior remains a solid choice as ever despite relying on extensive team support to truly shine. To find out more about Serperior, check this out: Serperior | SM | Smogon Strategy Pokedex





Alolan Ninetales is the only OU relevant pokemon in the game to have access to both Aurora Veil and Snow Warning, a single, unique niche turning a practically irrelevant pokemon into a godsend for Hyper and Bulky offense teams alike. Utilizing both Dual Screens in one turn as well as neutralizing key weather setting abilities such as Drizzle and Sand Stream make it an ideal teammate for setup sweepers vulnerable to being revenge killed by weather abusers. 109 base speed and passable special bulk allow it find several opportunities to set up Aurora Veil despite its awful defensive Ice typing. Decent special attack and great offensive Ice/Fairy typing in conjunction with Freeze Dry gives it a stable level of offensive presence while still allowing it to hit the bulky water types that Ice types usually struggle with, allowing it function as a lead to its fullest extent.

Ninetales-Alola @ Light Clay
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Moonblast
- Encore/ Hidden Power Fire


This is Alolan Ninetales only viable set in OU, Focusing on Alolan Ninetales only niche in OU, that is, setting up Aurora Veil efficiently. Freeze Dry is the STAB of choice over Blizzard, as it allows Ninetales to hit Bulky water types such as Toxapex and Tapu Fini much harder and deal massive damage to Pelliper and Rain abusers such as Kingdra and Ludicolo. Moonblast is the secondary STAB coverage on the set, allowing it hit most pokemon in the tier neutrally when paired with freeze dry and is generally powerful in its own right. The last slot is pretty much whatever, but Encore is preferred to prevent excess hazard stacking and ensure Alolan Ninetales does't become setup bait, while Hidden Power Fire allows it incinerate steel types attempting to switch into it, such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. Mono-Solo Offensive EVs is preferred to abuse its 109 base speed tier and fantastic offensive Ice/Fairy typing to the fullest as well as aiding any coverage moves that Alolan Ninetales may happen to run.



While Alolan Ninetales has a solid and straightforward niche in OU, it still has quite a lot of negative aspects to go along with it, chief of which include general difficulty of leading Turn 1, as the opponent can just send out a steel type and debunk any Aurora Veil setting attempt. 109 base speed still falls short of the crucial 110 base speed tier allowing it to be outspeed and KOed by faster offensive threats that achieve this base speed and higher such as Mega Metagross, Latios, and Greninja. Vulnerability to all types of Entry Hazards (Specifically stealth rocks) and general frailty make it difficult to almost impossible for it to repeatedly set up Aurora Veil multiple times in a match. Lastly, Alolan Ninetales faces strict competition as a lead with the likes of Azelf and Salc Berry Skarmory which have access to entry hazards, which are usually more useful to a team archetype in general.


With some closing words, Alolan Ninetales upholds a niche in OU that of which its ice type brethen have failed to do, a specific niche in OU that no one else can do, but still requires consideration over its lead peers before being applied onto a team build. To learn more about Alolan Ninetails, check this out: Ninetales-Alola | SM | Smogon Strategy Pokedex
 
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Reserving Primarina [QC READY] and Bisharp [QC READY] with permission from mdash @_@
As Generation 7's Water-type starter, Primarina is a fan favorite among new and older Pokemon fans alike. Primarina boasts a very high Special Attack stat, which, in conjunction with solid Water-Fairy dual STABs allows Primarina to act as a very threatening wallbreaker in the OU tier. Similarly, Primarina's incredible Water-Fairy typing alongside its solid mixed defensive stats allow it to check incredibly threatening Pokemon such as Greninja-Ash, Keldeo, and Volcarona.

Primarina @ Choice Specs
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Hidden Power Fire

This is Primarina's flagship set. Maximum Special Attack with a Modest nature allows Primarina to hit as hard as possible, while 84 Speed EV's lets Primarina get the jump on uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon such as Skarmory and Mantine. The rest of the EVs are poured into HP to increase Primarina's overall bulk. Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard with Choice Specs, doing immense damage to anything that does not resist it. Moonblast completes Primarina's dual STAB and has excellent synergy alongside Hydro Pump, dealing heavy damage to bulky Water resists such as Tapu Fini and Rotom-W. Psychic is crucial for hitting Pokemon such as Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Mega Venusaur for super effective damage. Lastly, Hidden Power Fire rounds out Primarina's perfect coverage by nailing Ferrothorn for 4x super effective damage.

Not all shines for Primarina, however. A terrible base Speed stat holds back Primarina's wallbreaking potential versus offensive teams and makes it easily revenge killed by powerful Electric- and Grass-types. Primarina also faces significant competition as a Water-Fairy type from Tapu Fini, who sports increased bulk, access to utility moves such as Defog and Taunt, and automatically sets up Misty Terrain upon entry. Primarina carves out its niche from Tapu Fini with its higher Special Attack stat and perfect neutral coverage, however. Lastly, although Primarina's Water-Fairy typing gives it a plethora of resistances, it also leaves it weak to common Electric- and Grass-type moves which can be troublesome.

Overall, Primarina is a very potent, and underused wallbreaker in the OU tier that definitely deserves a shot on your next team! Be sure to check here for even more competitive analysis on Primarina: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/primarina/ou/

Between the buffs to Defog and Knock Off, the advent of Fairy-types, and Steel no longer resisting Dark, Bisharp received a myriad of direct and indirect buffs in Generation 6. Now in Generation 7, Bisharp remains a very threatening Pokemon in the OU metagame. Bisharp's fantastic offensive dual STAB's, ability to deter Defog due to Defiant, and powerful priority give it a niche over other Dark-types such as Weavile and Muk-Alola as a staple on hyper offensive teams. Although Psychic Terrain is bothersome for Bisharp, after a Swords Dance boost it is an incredibly difficult Pokemon to combat.

Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

This is Bisharp's most popular and effective set. Maximum Attack and Speed investment alongside a Jolly nature allow Bisharp to hit as hard and fast as possible, while holding a Life Orb further boosts Bisharp's attacking prowess. Knock Off is incredibly spammable and powerful Dark-type STAB. Iron Head compliments Knock Off well, completing Bisharp's dual STAB, and hitting Fairy-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is valuable priority, allowing Bisharp to pick off weakened offensive Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Gengar, and Mega Metagross. Lastly, Swords Dance is the crux of this set, boosting Bisharp's Attack stat by two stages and allowing it to properly wallbreak. Pursuit can also be used in this slot in order to trap Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Latios, Gengar, and Hoopa-U, however the Attack boost from Swords Dance is usually more beneficial. Bisharp fits particularly well on hyper offensive teams that rely on hazard stacking, as Defiant allows Bisharp to deter an opponents Defog, not wanting to give Bisharp a free +2 Attack boost.

Bisharp is by no means a perfect Pokemon, however. Bisharp's low base Speed stat and below average bulk leave it very susceptible to being revenge killed. The base power nerf to Sucker Punch also does Bisharp no favors, hindering its ability to sweep. Lastly, although Bisharp's Dark-Steel typing is tremendous offensively, it leaves Bisharp weak to common Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks, limiting its effectiveness.

Although Bisharp has its fair share of flaws, it is a powerful, often unprepared for sweeper in the OU tier that definitely deserves a slot on your next team! Be sure to check here for even more competitive analysis on Bisharp: http://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/bisharp/ou/
 
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I Guess I'll go ahead and do Mega Bee and Mega Mawile since there's nothing left



Thanks to Huge Power, Mega Mawile posses the most incredible attack stat in all of OU, its sheer power allowing it hit like a train on even resisted targets such as Toxapex and Ferrothorn. It also boasts one of the best typing's in the game (Fairy/Steel) both offensively and defensively, enabling it to come in on the likes of things like Protean Greninja and Mega Venasur, while still hitting the majority of the tier hard with its STABs alone, and the ones that don't get mowed down by coverage in the form of Thunder Punch, Fire Fang, Focus Punch, Knock Off, and even powerful priority in the form of Sucker Punch allow it to overcome its lackluster speed stat and finish offensive and defensive teams alike with Swords Dance. It even has decent 50/125/95 bulk in tandem with Intimidate to allow it to stomach a hit when it needs it the most, and Hyper Cutter allow it to nuke the omnipresent Landorus-Therian by ignoring the attack drop when it tries to switch in. Few can stomach any boosted hit from Mega Mawile despite not having STAB on some of them, as its Colossal attack stat renders even those dedicated physical walls useless in its presence.

Mawile-Mega @ Mawilite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Fire Fang / Focus Punch

This is easily Mega Mawile's cream and butter set, a focused All out Attacker set functioning since X and Y. Play Rough is really the only necessary STAB needed since the things that Iron Head hits are already taken care of by coverage and Iron Head takes up coverage space anyway, giving it a case of four moveslot syndrome if it wants to run it. Sucker Punch is still an incredibly powerful form of priority, allowing to to deal 90% to Mega Metagross and revenge kill setup sweepers such as Volcarona and Scolipede after some prior damage. Thunder Punch is also a nice form of coverage allowing to electrocute bulky waters types that would have been able to deal with it easily otherwise such as Toxapex and Gyrados. Fire fang burns bulky steel types like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor to a crisp, and the other option in focus punch still allows you to hit Skarm and Mega Scizor hard, but allows cracks the faces of incoming heatran, but it requires a lot more prediction and is more matchup based then Fire Fang.

Mega Mawile still isn't a flawless angle from heaven, however. It's bulk can prove insignificant in the face of powerful and popular attackers such as Mega Metagross, Tapu Koko, and Ash Greninja, meaning its forced out more then it would like. Lackluster base 50 speed stat means that most things that can outpace it easily beat it 1v1, such as examples include Heatran, Keldeo, and Landorus Therian. To top it all of, Mega Mawile faces intense competition from other Mega Evoultions looking to warrant a team slot due to Mega Mawile unfortunately occupying one.


Mega Mawile is still a defining force in OU thanks to its aforementioned strengths outshining its downsides, making it a potent option for almost all archetypes and a top consideration during teambuilding. To find out more about Mega Mawile, check out its analysis: Mawile | SM | Smogon Strategy Pokedex





Mega Beedrill is the premier Glass Cannon and Offensive Pivot in OU, thanks to incredible 150/145 attacking stats and access to Adaptability to back it up. This allows Mega Beedrill to hit like a Weapon of Mass Destruction and force switches on the spot and gain momentum with U-Turn, all while chipping switch in's in the process, paving a way for a teamate to sweep. Bug/Poison is an excellent offensive typing allowing it to exploit the weakness of things like Tapu Koko, Ash Greninja, and Modest Mega Alakazam while either picking up some momentum or fulfilling other utilities like laying hazards, setting up Swords Dance, or Pursuit trapping targets, making it a perfect option for faster paced offence teams.

Beedrill-Mega @ Beedrillite
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
- Toxic Spikes

This is probably the one and only set you will ever see a Beedrill running. U-Turn is incredibly powerful coming off a 150 base attack stat and being turned into a 140 base power move thanks to adaptability, it 2HKOes most of OU and sends the rest running allowing Mega Beedrill to pick up some momentum. Poison Jab is a secondary STAB and is even more powerful then U-Turn, plucking up the myriad of Fairy types swarming OU such as the Tapu Bunch and others. Knock off is Mega Beedrill's first and foremost and only necessary form of coverage, it mutilates most things the resists its STAB coverage such as Gengar and Alolan Marowak, as well crippling its checks and counters by removing their item, allowing a teamate to maneuver around them easier. And Finally, Mega Beedrill can set up Toxic Spikes on forced switches instead of U-Turn to cripple certain switch ins and supporting its team in general, as its one of the few OU viable pokemon to have access to this move and can still use it effectively.

Mega Beedrill still has some serious drawbacks that deserve discussion. Chief of which is its weakness to Stealth Rock, hindering its ability to Pivot effectively. Its mediocre bulk cripples its ability to stomach any kind of hit at all, meaning that if it can't force something out, it will forced out in return. It struggles with the plentiful amount of steel types in tier, such as Mega Metagross, Celesteela, and Skarmory, meaning that it heavily relies on its teamates for anything it cannot accomplish.


Mega Beedrill still manages to make it self a great offensive pokemon in the absence of its biggest competitors, and when given the chance, you should certainly give it a shot!
 
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Reserving Mega Medicham and Slowking






Thrashing from the waters of Johto, Slowking flaunts it's increased Special bulk and great defensive typing, Slowking solidifies itself as hard check to things like Tapu Lele, Latios, Keldeo, and Mega Metagross. Furthermore, access to Calm Mind allows it to preform the role of a bulky win condition, while Regenerator allows it to scout attacks and makes it much more resilient against entry hazards, which many bulkier inclined teams enjoy. Its capability for acting as a Bulky pivot and a Win condition at the same time is part of what make it the face of certain bulky offense builds needing a check to the same aforementioned pokemon, allowing it to make a splash in OU.

Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 SpD
Calm Nature
- Calm Mind
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psyshock

Behold, his mightiness equipped with Calm Mind, even facing the likes of opposing boosting sweepers like Quiver Dance Volcarona and Calm Mind Keldeo to match them in strength and sturdiness alike. Scald is the necessary water STAB in a tier full of Ground types every corner you look, it comes with a free 30% burn rate allowing it wall things it couldn't have walled before, such as Landorus-Therian and Zen Headbutt Mega Medichamp. Slack Off is the main form of recovery when Slowking is against something 1v1 as in these circumstances it can't take advantage of regenerator, so instant recovery is necessary. Psychock not only allows Slowking to win Calm Mind wars, it acts as a secondary form of STAB and rounds up its satisfying coverage.

But believe it or not, its actually possible to overthrow the King. The things its supposed to check like Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross, Latios, and Keldeo can all run coverage moves to lure in and remove his mightiness such as Z-Hyper Beam on Keldeo, Thunder on Latios, Shadow ball on Tapu Lele, Bloom Doom and Heatran, Thunder Punch on Mega Metagross, and even Bug Buzz/Flynium Z on Volcarona meaning that he may have to scout for these moves, which isin't much of an issue due to regenerator. Probably the biggest slope Slowking has to overcome is the immense competition it receives from the likes of Slowbro, which it itself pushes over Slowking due to its higher physical bulk proving superior in most circumstances over Slowking's special defense, making it all the more difficult to justify using on a team.


Slowking has always been an underrated option in favor of Slowbro, and now its your chance to give his mightiness a spin! To learn more about Slowking, check out its (OU) analysis: Slowking | SM | Smogon Strategy Pokedex
 
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antemortem

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Thanks so much to everyone that has contributed to this project thus far. All of your contributions mean a lot, especially when just a year or so ago I had to beg people to write these for me!

In any case, it's very clear a backlog has formed, and Meteordash has resigned, so I'll be reorganizing some things with P Squared to make sure we prioritize the most important writeups first. Unfortunately, this will mean a lot of your writeups might not be posted right now, and will end up needing to be updated later. Best case scenario is we just update small tidbits of information and continue asis, but we will let individual writers know if something else happens.

Thanks again everyone. This thread will open back up in the near future. Until then, I'll use it to post published Spotlights.
 
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